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Summary: And round about we go!
Review: Nuclear war...Dark ages...Rebirth of learning...and once again, a technological world that is about to destroy itself in nuclear war. All seen through the eyes of an enduring, yet changing religious order which manages to help to hold things together, somehow. There is mysterious symbolism in, for example, the buzzards. There is a curious old man who keeps reappearing at intervals of thousands of years. Who is he? There are times when we can't find a simple Right Side to a controversy that shakes all society (ie, is it good or bad to uncover ancient knowledge, [that is, 20th century knowlege] when the parties in power are evil? Should euthanasia be routinely available to persons dying of radiation poisoning?). Nothing is constant; human beings keep making the same mistakes! And yet, there is a gleam of hope at the end.
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Summary: Good, but not exactly a classic
Review: Good, enjoyable SF. Always interesting and often funny, though no in a laugh out loud way. But also a serious satire with a somber message. "Will we ever learn?" seems to be the question this book is asking and it seems the answer isn't very promising. But this book is not about the destruction of mankind; it is about mankinds tedency to destroy himself but not to give up--to rise up again even if it's only leads to more destruction.
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Summary: chilling and subtle tale of destruction and hope
Review: I've waited some time before I wrote this review on A Canticle to Leibowitz because it had taken me away from daily life so much I was unsure I would find the words to explain my experience.Wat impressed me most was the medievalism of the atmosphere during the dark ages that the Simpletons reign, and the pursuit of knowledge is known to be the main cause of human destruction, therefore never to be allowed to recure. The few people who resist that, join (out of faith) the Catholic order of Leibowitz, and try to preserve every scrap of paper from before the Simplification, even though context is missing, and most of the time they do not have a clue as to what they are copying through the ages. There is a nice little subtheme concerning an electronic wiring schema that is transmutated into a wonderous religious icon. Also impressive is the fine character exploration, with moving and humorous aspects, and details that help better understand the predicament and the superstitions of the literate but otherwise (in our present sense of the word) uneducated monks in a grim world that has been destructed centuries ago, and will not be restored anytime soon. Matching this world, it is not a fast paced book. But because of the well developed world, atmosphere and characters it works itself into your system inevitably. It changes the way you perceive your everyday life. And if you have any beliefs in the 'Progress of the World' or 'Growth of Mankind' this book will subtely alter that, persuading you gently to rethink the possibilities. After all these years this book is very much alive, and it definitely will remain so for the decades to come. It is a treat, don't miss it.
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Summary: Worth the read
Review: What a great book! As a person who favors technology and space related fiction, I had serious reservations about reading a book concerning, what I thought to be, a rather dry, heavy topic--nuclear holocoust. From the standpoint of someone who never lived through the Red Scare or Cuban Missle Crisis I've never been particularly interested in books that explored the fears and social ramifications from that era. However, based on the reviews, I decided to give it a try. I was thouroughly impressed. Miller writes in a readable style and the plot was driving enough to keep me interested. But what impressed me the most was the way that Miller divulges the thematic issues in the book. It is as if they are subtly layered. They develop rather than force-fed down the reader's throat. The breadth and depthness of the issues explored in this book should give any reader plenty of material to chew on. I highly recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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Summary: Still valid after all these years
Review: Imagine North America divided into entities named Laredo, Texarkana, Chihuahua, Denver, and the Mississippi Republic and you have the beginnings of the post-nuclear holocaust world created by Walter Miller in "A Canticle for Leibowitz." Nuclear devastation, followed by a "cleansing" of all educated people held responsible for the development and deployment of nuclear weapons, has left a world in which "Simpleton" is a term of respect and knowledge is considered threatening. However, the monks of the abby named for Leibowitz, an engineer martyred for trying to preserve books and writing, continue to save every scrap of information from the time before the destruction and Simplification, even cherishing a shopping list in Leibowitz's own hand. Through all three sections of the novel, a burlap-clad beggar/traveler/mystic moves, leading me to wonder if he is not somehow a reincarnation of Leibowitz himself. The man is mostly an observer who only occasionally influences the action, but his presence is always tangible. He watches as the world progresses (?) from huddled communities connected only by footpaths beset by robbers and murderers to city-states with renewed nuclear capabilities--but without the sensibilities and cautions that should have come from having already seen one disaster unleashed. Inevitably, it happens again. What knowledge and beliefs will survive? What should survive? Who should survive? You'll have to discover (or rediscover) this 41-year-old masterpiece for yourself! As to why only four stars in my rating, it's simply that the somewhat extensive use of Latin phrases left me wondering what I was missing because of my unfamiliarity with the language and Catholic church custom.
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Summary: Saint Leibowitz
Review: The story presented in this novel of alternate worlds is about renaissance after an Atomic Flame Deluge on earth. It describes the future dark ages, which is also presented as a warning. The author of this novel conveys the warning by modifying and designing the story in such a way to interest the reader and convey the warning. He conveys the warning effectively by changing our inner attitudes towards the technology. We are being informed every time in the story that mankind has self-destructive tendencies. This warning is explained in an indirect way, (meaning that the author doesn't clearly say it as a warning, he delivers us the warning by the use of this story). Wry, descriptive, engaging and vastly disturbing, Miller's prose hurls the reader into a parallel universe: Earth as it might have been if we had destroyed ourselves with nuclear weapons. The story follows the lives of the Monks of the Leibowitz Abbey from the discovery in an abandoned bomb shelter of the actual relics of Saint Leibowitz, the blueprint and the sacred shopping list, to the struggles of the Monks against the violent warlords who rule the world around them and the dispossessed Papal presence in New Rome. The warning is explained to an extent which make the reader think specifically of the things, which are happening in the novel and recognize the similarities with the world that we ourselves live in. The writer achieves this by modifying and designing characters, themes, emotions and using certain language techniques. Writer has also included dark humor, anger and struggle between good and evil in order to convey the warning.
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Summary: I keep trying but I can never get past chapter 1
Review: Its just hard. There is definitely nothing that is gripping me. Ok I did get past chapter 1 but nit far. I think I had gotten 50 or so pages in before announcing the futility. The concept sounds great but there is difficulty getting through the pages and pages of stagnancy.
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Summary: book less than the radio adaptation
Review: How often do you see the headline above? I'm guessing not often. Several years ago, the public radio station where I lived had a live actor version this book. I was so intrigued, and figuring that the stereotype of the book being better than the movie/tv show/etc would hold up, I went and hurriedly got a copy. So slowly paced is the action, so uninteresting are the characters that this is another book I just couldn't bring myself to finish.
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Summary: A Review of the Poignantly Brilliant "Fiat Homo"
Review: A book in three related parts (Fiat Homo, Fiat Lux, Fiat Voluntas Tua) the first part, the story of Brother Francis, is a poignantly brilliant novella by itself. I loaned this book to a friend before she joined the Carmelite order and she told me that she laughed and cried as I did when I first read this. We both wondered what would have happened if Miller had stopped at the end with "Fiat Homo" as a standalone work. You don't have to be a Catholic (I'm not) to understand what Miller is doing - he's putting a human face on, of all things, humanity. I don't want to say much about the content of this book (it's pretty easy to find out too much by reading these reviews) but recommend you check out a copy from your local library (which BETTER own this award winning novel) just for "Fiat Homo." I'd love to sit down with a rabbi, an imam, and a Jesuit who've all read this for their insights on the universality of the human condition. -- P.S. This is another book that suffers from being stamped as "Science Fiction." Those who will enjoy this the most are least likely to read it.
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Summary: My all-time favorite
Review: I have never taken the time to write a review for Amazon, but I had to take the time for this one. This is my number one, all-time favorite book. It is so profound, showing how man just simply doesn't learn from history. My only complaint is that the title is quite hard to remember! Someone asks me what my favorite book is, I always think of this one, but I have trouble recalling the "Leibowitz" part of the title!
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